JJ’s children not involved in running companies, says stepbrother

Aminah Abdullah (left), the mother of the late Jamaluddin Jarjis.

KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here was told that former minister Jamaluddin Jarjis’ children were never directly involved in running the daily operations of the companies that their late father led previously.

Mohamad Najeb Ali, who is Jamaluddin’s younger stepbrother, said that the children were only holding shares in three companies as registered owners and not beneficial owners.

“None of them played a significant role in managing the companies,” he said in his witness statement.

Najeb, who works as a sales director in Kuantan, was testifying in a lawsuit that his mother, Aminah Abdullah, has filed against Jamaluddin’s children, Nur Anis and Ikwan Hafiz, over the transfer of nine million shares worth about RM1.4 billion in three companies to the joint administrators of her son’s estate.

Aminah said in her lawsuit that if her grandchildren failed to transfer the companies’ shares, a court official should be authorised to execute the task in favour of the joint administrators.

The shares are in Rantai Wawasan Sdn Bhd, Alpine Motion Sdn Bhd and Ivory Insights Sdn Bhd.

Najeb also said that Anis had worked in the US while Ikwan was attached to a multinational company before their father passed away in 2015 in a helicopter crash in Semenyih.

Jamaluddin was previously a businessman. He was later elected as Rompin MP in 1990 and remained as the elected representative until his death.

Najeb also gave details that Anis and Ikwan are shareholders of Rantai Wawasan, with a total of three million shares. They have been holding the shares for the past 10 years.

“Anis and Ikwan held 2.1 million and 900,000 shares in Rantai Wawasan respectively ‘in trust’.

“The companies’ shares previously belonged to my brother, his wife (Khalsom Ismail) and my mother before the shares were transferred to another company,” he added.

Najeb said that Anis and Ikwan also held shares in Alpine Motion and Ivory Insight, that were worth over RM250 million.

He added that the shares of the two companies were transferred to the siblings on Jan 27, 2017, two years after Jamaluddin’s death.

To a question from lawyer Chew Chang Min, representing the siblings, on whether Jamaluddin was the “de facto companies’ director”, Najeb said “Yes”.

He explained that Rantai Wawasan, Alpine Motion and Ivory Insights were indirectly owned by Jamaluddin, with his late brother placing trustees in the three companies.

“He could not be involved directly in businesses as he was bound by the code of ethics for MPs under the administration.

“My brother was sensitive to public criticism of his business dealings as this could tarnish his political reputation,” Najeb said.

The hearing continues on Sept 10 before High Court judge Mohd Firuz Jaffril. - FMT